Category: Family

This Apple Stamp DIY Appreciation Card is just the craft for you and your little buddy to show appreciation to your teacher this year. Ever feel like you just want to do something a little extra special for your child’s teacher, but all the ideas have been done before? That’s how I felt one year, when my kids were both in preschool. They only attended preschool 2 days a week, so the rest of the time we played and crafted at home.

I’m starting a series of blog posts at the end of each month called “Things I loved” to remember and reflect on the highlights of the past month.

Do you practice reflection and gratitude? Winter months can be so dreary and monotonous that sometimes it’s hard to find one good things about them. The winter blues set in, and we get grumpy and dissatisfied. But nobody wants to feel this way. We need a little push, a little reminder that even in the darkest month, there were bright moments that cheered our soul.

As the month of February is coming to its end, I want to sit down and reflect on the lovely things that made my heart happy this month.

Things I loved in February:

If you have a Star Wars fan on our hands, then these Ewok Valentines will surely make their day! Even more than that, they will love making them with you for their friends and sharing those funny sounds the goofy Ewoks make!

My son and I were trying to come up with a homemade Valentine last year that would use a Hubba Bubba bubble gum. As we were brainstorming and humming “Hubba bubba hubba bubba” to ourselves, it occurred to us that it was so similar to the sound that Ewoks made in the Return Of The Jedi! And so the idea for Ewok Valentines was born!

As the confetti after a fun New Year’s Eve celebration settles, and we realize that the holidays are finally over, there usually comes a lull in our activities and mood. That’s when we pull out our craft supplies and come up with a list of fun things to do in winter!

Inspired by our annual Summer Bucket List, our family came up with a Fall Bucket List last year, and it was a great hit! We all looked at it to see what we could do on week-ends or evenings after school, so there was no shortage of ideas.

No, we did NOT do all the things we wrote down, but it was never our intention. I have to admit that we create seasonal bucket lists simply for inspiration and as an interactive way to brainstorm ideas of fun things to do as a family.

The beginning of the year is always filled with so much potential and promise. Just as I open the pages of my new planner, this new year opens the doors to new possibilities and new adventures. Empty pages are exciting and oh so inviting to write down your new ideas and plans, aren’t they?

I say “ideas and plans” intentionally. I stink at resolutions, and so it never really appeals to me to make big promises. Honestly, I much rather prefer thinking about it in terms of having an “IDEA” and then coming up with a “PLAN” to execute it. Setting simple smaller goals and working toward them throughout the year sounds much more appealing to me. I guess I just really like simplicity but with a dose of realism, of course.

Note: this post contains an affiliate link to the Truth in the Tinsel eBook.

For the past 5 years, our family has been enjoying a wonderful Christ-focused Advent countdown called Truth in the Tinsel. It is created by Amanda White who blogs at OhAmanda.com. I have been following Amanda and reading her blog for years. I admire her passion for bringing Christ into the lives of children in a meaningful and fun way. When my kids were old enough to understand and answer some basic questions and do fun crafts, we went out and purchased the eBook “Truth In The Tinsel”! I printed it out, and since that first year we still use that same print-out to this day. This Christ-focused advent countdown has been our go-to Christmas resource for many years!

Simple Fall Dates are made of just that: simple living, homemade foods, and maybe a little bit of fall magic that encompasses all its delicious smells and magnificent colors.

There is definitely something about Fall that just sparks romance in everything we see and feel. Don’t you agree? Beautiful views and changing colors that beg you to go outdoors. Cool air that encourages snuggles and cozy fires.

Having been married for a few years and having a couple of kids definitely can throw couples off their game a bit, and so you’ll need to be a little creative to keep the romance going. And the beautiful fall is just the season to enjoy a few simple fall dates.

We happen to live in the eastern part of Pennsylvania, and the weather here can be quite finicky. However, for the most part, we witness the change of seasons yearly. And, in my opinion, the most vibrant, calm, and mysterious one is FALL. The air is crisp and cool, and the leaves…oh my, the leaves changing colors are just gorgeous. And that’s an understatement. If you are looking to witness the beauty and fineness of fall in Eastern PA, here are my 3 favorite fun fall destinations for you to consider.

The whirlwind of summer fun has calmed down, and what we have now is the seemingly quiet stillness of fall. I’m all for cozying up on the couch with blankets and tea, but it is also very easy to get sad and depressed during the fall months. Just look out the window…more often than not, you see grey skies and wind and rain. In attempts to avoid seasonal fall blues, we set out to create a little Fall Bucket List.

Summer wouldn’t be complete without a picnic or two, would it? And what better way to complete a summer picnic than with a pitcher of a refreshing lemonade? Today I want to share with you a recipe for Strawberry Lemonade. It’s a variation of an old classic, but with a sweet twist. It also goes perfectly with the red, white, and blue theme for the Fourth of July! Surprise your guests with this delicious thirst quenching homemade drink!